A brief history
1884 Austria (4 yrs)
1884 Hungary (4 yrs from 1884 to 1943, changed to 3yrs from 1944)
1892 Russia (3yrs from 1892 to 1898, changed to 4yrs from 1899)
1895 Germany (3yrs)
1898 Denmark (4yrs)
1923 Yugoslavia (4yrs) (later Croatian Derby, Serbian Derby, Slovenian Derby)
1926 Italy (3yrs)
1928 Sweden (4yrs)
1932 Norway (4yrs)
1935 Romania (4yrs) Race discontinued 1987 (?)
1942 The Netherlands (3yrs)
1953 Czechoslovakia/Czech Republik (4yrs, open for International horses since 1994)
1962 GDR (DDR/Eastern Germany) (3yrs) Race discontinued 1987
1970 Finland (4yrs)
1991 Slovenia (4yrs)
1993 Slovakia (4yrs, International) Race discontinued 2009
PS
It’s not that easy to figure out the oldest European Derbys. E.g., there was an early so called „Derby” in France, that should also be mentioned:
1877 France (3yrs) Derby du Cotentin, Race discontinued 1889, or that one of Italy:
1885 Italy (4yrs) Derby Governativo, Race discontinued 1895
One might also include the numerous stakes races in France for each and every crop (like the Criterium des 3 ans, 4 ans, 5 ans, etc.), but France obviously don’t want to name it as a „Derby”. Continuative, also the US Hambletonian Stakes (since 1926) could be mentioned as a Derby, but there has also been a so called „American Trotting Derby” (only run three times from 1908 to 1910).
If you have any further informations about other Derbys in countries like Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, etc., please do not hesitate to contact us.
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